Deux's and Don'ts
by PrincessOfDestiny18
Summary: Sequel to Do's and Don'ts. Ash and Misty's daughter Alora begins her own Pokémon journey, leaving her oblivious to the trouble brewing back home...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've finally got around to posting what I promised many weeks, probably months now, ago; the sequel to Do's and Don'ts! My boyfriend thought of the punny title so I'm afraid I can't be given credit for that one, but the rest of this is all mine, promise ;) I really missed Do's and Don'ts, and after all your support with it I wanted to make another! If you haven't read Do's and Don'ts, you'll probably understand most of this but it's probably best if you do read it first. This continues directly from the epilogue of Do's and Don'ts. Anyway, without further delay, on with the story!**

* * *

Ash sighed heavily, a sigh which was laced with both sadness and hopefulness. He had just watched his one and only child leave on her Pokémon journey, exactly as he had, twenty-two years before. His wife of nearly eleven years, Misty, stood beside him, her head resting on his chest as his arm enveloped her waist. Pikachu stood in front of them, watching Pikapi's offspring disappear in the distance toward Gary Oak's lab.

Misty wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffing as she did so.

"That was a little harder than expected," the mother admitted, her voice drenched in sadness. "And we're going to see her in half an hour!"

Ash smiled lovingly at his wife. "I know, I'm going to miss her so much, I already do."

He pulled Misty a little closer, for both her comfort and his own, the pair still staring into the wake of their child.

"I can't wait to see which Pokémon she picks," Ash mused.

Misty giggled. "Typical Ash; even at thirty-two, Pokémon always on the brain!"

"It's exciting though, isn't it? Her first ever Pokémon…" Ash trailed off, grinning, his own memories coming to mind. "The day I got Pikachu was one of the best of my life!"

"Pikachu," the little mouse said happily from its trainer's feet, as he smiled down at it.

Misty didn't respond, just continued to stare into the distance, sighing sadly.

"C'mon, Mist, don't you remember that rush you got when you got your first Pokémon?" Ash pressed.

Misty smiled softly, turning to face him. "I'd been surrounded by Pokémon my whole life," she said, more to herself than Ash. "I never really got that 'rush' until I got Togepi. I loved it so much, and releasing it was difficult; I was sad, but I knew letting it go was the best thing to do, it would do great things…" she paused. "It's not dissimilar to how I feel right now, actually."

Ash surrounded the red-head in a hug. "She's going to be amazing. I know it."

* * *

Alora's heart thumped in her ears. She was running as fast as she could down the dirt track toward the lab, her red trainers leaving a trail of dust behind her with every step. Her water drop necklace that Daisy had bought her bounced from side-to-side as she ran, and her Spheal backpack thumped against her back in rhythm with her steps. Alora was oblivious though, her veins pumped with adrenaline. Today was one of the most important days of her life.

She was panting a bit now; suddenly the short trip to the lab seemed a lot longer than usual, and the beaming sun didn't aid her. Eventually the silhouette of the great windmill came into view, and she grinned, picking up speed, the building getting closer and closer…

_Thump._

She landed on the hard track with a hefty bang, her exposed knees stinging and she was sure they were cut. She groaned, and suddenly heard a chorus of laughter from beside her.

"Aww, did little Alora trip up?"

Rubbing the dust out of her eyes, Alora looked up and moaned. Stood towering over her was a girl of around the same age, perhaps a year or two older. She had long, blonde hair that reached her waist with deep, teal eyes, which matched the short, green dress she was wearing. She also wore matching green pumps, and had a Bellossom clip in her hair.

"Hey Bella," Alora grumbled, pushing herself up from the ground, feeling the sharp stones dig into her palms. The girl chuckled evilly, along with her hoard of sidekicks whose names Alora never bothered to learn. They all stood, hands on hips, looking the tomboy up and down. Bella's gaze averted downwards and she cackled even louder.

"Cute backpack," the girl spat, "And, oh look girls, little Alora needs her teddy bear for her big trip! You got a blankey in there too?"

Alora looked down in horror to see her precious Pichu laid in dust of the track, covered in dirt. She quickly stuffed it back into her bag while the other girls continued to laugh. Suddenly, a car pulled up, and Bella turned to Alora.

"That's my sister," she announced, flicking her hair. "See you later, loser!"

The rest of her clones giggled in sickening chorus as they piled into the car and Alora could only groan as the car drove off, sending dust flying back at her, leaving her as dishevelled as her Pichu. She sighed as she looked down at the teddy, resting awkwardly on top of all her stuff, covered in dust and dirt. Having dusted the messy toy off, she zipped her bag up for the second time. Adjusting her hat, she swore to herself she wouldn't let Bella ruin her day.

* * *

After descending the ridiculous amount of stairs to the lab, Alora had finally arrived, mostly in one piece.

"Hey Uncle Gary," Alora called as she entered the establishment. The lab was pretty much the same as it had been twenty years previous; Gary had wanted to preserve his grandfather's honour. A lot more staff worked there than before though, not just him and Tracey; both being fathers, the two had more responsibility than they could cope with alone. The high ceiling and grand, large windows showcased the tall bookcases that were completely stuffed with every book on Pokémon imaginable, a few written by Gary himself. Various computers beeped as the research assistants scurried around the lab, each looking extremely busy and preoccupied.

Gary turned, pushing his glasses back up his nose and caught sight of his honorary niece. "Jeez, Alora, what happened to you?" he asked with concern, walking over to her from the other side of the room, clipboard in hand.

"I uh, fell," Alora lied. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Gary wasn't convinced, but decided not to press her. "Well, never mind, guess you got your dad's clumsiness then," he said with a chuckle, which elicited a genuine smile from Alora. "You ready to meet your first Pokémon?"

Alora grinned happily. "Am I ever?! I'm going to be a Pokémon Master, I know it!"

Gary chuckled. "You're like a mini Ash, and believe me, kid, it's not a bad thing."

Alora smiled wider. "So, which ones are left?" she asked, referring to Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle; the typical starter Pokémon for a Pallet Town trainer. Gary grinned.

"Actually, I picked out an extra special one for you, I hope that's okay."

Alora was thrilled. She loved the fact her dad didn't just have a typical starter; he got his own, special one, that no-one else got to have, and she was going to start out the exact same way.

"I know you were getting a little annoyed with everyone assuming you'd end up with either a Pikachu or a Squirtle, just because it's a water type, like your mother's speciality," Gary said, as they walked through the lab, passing various computers, bookcases, and researchers looking busy at work. Alora nodded, despite not being in Gary's line of sight as she was a few steps behind, looking round interestedly. She'd seen the lab hundreds of times, but she was always intrigued about what new research was going on.

"Your parents are great trainers, some of the best in the world… Don't tell your dad I said that," Gary said. Alora giggled and promised not to. "But you need to have your own journey, your own adventure. You might be like a mini version of the pair of them, Arceus help the World, but I want you to make your own life, your own preferences, and I think I picked the perfect Pokémon for that. I also think it might annoy your dad a bit, which is always a benefit," he said, winking over his shoulder at her.

Alora smirked. "Glad to see your rivalry's over."

Gary answered with a chuckle. "Our rivalry will never be over, kid. When he had you I decided I needed one myself."

"Ooh, can I see Rose at some point?" Alora asked. "She's so cute!"

"Course you can, she loves her 'Lorry,'" Gary smirked. "I'll take you to see her as soon as I've given you this…" he pulled at his lab coat as they ascended the staircase to the room her father had received Pikachu, twenty-two years earlier. Gary walked over to the big podium in the middle that held three Pokéballs, pressing a button on the side that opened the middle compartment, and another Pokéball appeared. Alora watched on in awe, her palms sweating with anticipation.

Her dad was a Pokémon Master. Her mum was a member of the Elite Four.

_No pressure then._

Gary looked at the mixed expression on Alora's face; her eyes twinkled with excitement but her lip quivered in expectation. "You ready?"

* * *

**It wouldn't be the sequel to Do's and Don'ts if I didn't leave you a slight cliffhanger ;) Any guesses as to what Alora's first Pokemon might be? Also, I know the fic seems very Alora centered right now, but don't worry, they'll still be a lot of Ash and Misty too! Hope you all enjoyed the first installment :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, all! Thank you so much to everyone who read/reviewed/favourited/etc. the first chapter of this, it really is appreciated! I'm sorry this chapter took so long, it turned out ridiculously longer than I planned, but I couldn't find a way to cut it down so had to finish it before I could post it. I hope the length makes up for the delay! **

* * *

Alora's eyes were wide; the excitement overcoming her. She stared at the creature in front of her in awe. Gary smiled as he saw the grin on his niece's face grow larger by the second.

"Do you like it?" he asked with a chuckle. He'd released the Pokémon a few minutes previous, and Alora had been completely silent since; rendered speechless by her realisation she was now an official trainer.

"I love it," she breathed, and bent down to stroke the creature. It had light brown fur, and at only a foot high was completely tiny. Around its neck it had a ruffle of white fur, and a big fluffy tail that also was white at the tip. One of its large ears pointed upwards, while the other flopped down from the middle. Around its neck was a red collar with Alora's trainer details on it.

"It's an Eevee, right?" Alora clarified. Gary nodded.

"Eevee," the Pokémon purred as its new trainer stroked it.

"I thought Eevee's had two ears that pointed upwards?"

"Normally it does," Gary explained. "When they're born, their ears are floppy like this one's left ear, but they stick up after a while. One of this Eevee's ears just decided it wasn't going to, but I think it's pretty cute."

Alora giggled. "You're _adorable_, aren't you, Eevee?"

The little Eevee trilled and then licked Alora's face affectionately. Alora giggled and Gary watched on with a smile.

"Your parents are going to be here soon," he informed Alora. "Shall we go see Rose?"

* * *

A while later, Ash and Misty were stood outside of Gary's lab, anxiously waiting for their daughter to appear. Suddenly, a loud, very excitable and high-pitched female voice called their names. They turned around, to the direction of the source, to see Delia waving excitably, a rolled up tube of paper in the other hand. Her husband, Ethan, followed slightly behind, much less excitable but still clearly happy.

"Hey kids," he greeted, acknowledging the pair with a grin. The couple smiled at their relative as his wife rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, honey, they're in the thirties and have been parents for ten years; I don't know if we can warrant calling them 'kids' anymore!"

"They'll always be our kids," Ethan argued, in jest, smirking at his son and his wife. Misty was beaming; she loved that Ethan and Delia weren't just in-laws to her, they were practically parents.

"No time for heart-warming sentiments yet, honey, we need to prepare!" Delia's voice was frantic. "Here, hold this."

Ethan had no chance to reply before one side of the banner Delia had been carrying had been thrust into his hands, and his wife stepped away to his right, holding the other side of the banner to reveal it fully.

"Oh, Delia this is so lovely!" Misty grinned. The banner was simple; it had red writing across it saying 'Go Alora Go!' and a cute drawing of a Pichu at the end.

"I drew the Pichu," Ethan said proudly. Ash chuckled.

"It's great, Dad."

Ethan placed his free hand on his only child's shoulder. "How are you feeling? Today's a big day."

Ash blushed slightly. "Mist and I already had a bit of a cry back at the house."

Delia smiled sympathetically. "It is hard; I bawled like a baby when you left, Ash. You two should come back to ours for a cup of tea afterwards."

Ash and Misty chorused their thanks just as the large door to the lab opened and shut with a clunk. Four heads turned simultaneously toward the building. Ash and Misty heard their daughter's trademark giggle and smiled subconsciously; relief washing over both of them.

Gary walked alongside Alora, holding his daughter in his arms. Rose was two now, with gorgeous brunette locks like her father and deep brown eyes like both of her parents. She had beautiful rosy cheeks and always had a smile on her face. Alora held her Eevee in her arms as she walked down the hill toward her family. Misty, Delia and Ethan all grinned happily upon noting the Pokémon in Alora's arms, but Ash's brow was furrowed. He quickly forced a grin when he caught sight of his daughter beaming at him. She ran on ahead of Gary to meet her parents at the bottom of the hill, yelling out excitedly.

"Grandma! Grandpa! I love the banner!"

"I drew the Pichu," Ethan announced proudly, again. Delia and Misty giggled, catching each other's eyes; there was a fair amount of similarity between Ash and Ethan, at times.

"I love it, Grandpa!" Alora grinned at her grandfather.

"Oh Alora," Misty said suddenly, her voice panic-stricken. "What happened to your knee? And your clothes are covered in dust!" she began dusting her daughter off, who scrunched her face up in response.

"Moooooom!" Alora flushed. "It's nothing, I'm fine! I ran too fast to get here and tripped, that's all."

Misty didn't seem convinced and was about to question further, but Ethan, taking sympathy on his granddaughter, spoke up.

"And who's this little one?" he said, using his free hand to stroke the Eevee in his granddaughter's arms.

"Everyone," Alora said, now that Misty had stopped dusting her off. "This is Eevee."

"Hi, Eevee, aren't you a little cutie?" Misty cooed. Delia joined in, squealing over the Pokémon's large eyes and fluffiness.

Gary eyed his ex-rival, who was surprisingly quiet. Catching Gary's questioning gaze, Ash leant down beside his father and stroked his daughter's starter on the head.

"You're better behaved than my starter was," Ash joked.

Alora giggled, looking down at her first Pokémon. "Pikachu paid no attention to Dad at first."

"Hm, yes, they bonded over destroying my bike," Misty said slyly, eying her husband who grinned sheepishly in response.

"I remember calling it weird and it shocked everyone in town," Delia recalled, giggling. "It had quite an attitude, not like this little cutie; you're so well behaved! You're a lucky girl, Alora!"

Ethan placed a hand on Alora's shoulder. "You're very lucky. Eevee can evolve into all sorts of types of Pokémon; Fire, Water, Electric, Psychic, Dark, Grass, Ice, Fairy… There's probably even more that haven't been discovered yet!"

Gary nodded. "I've been doing some research into that recently, actually. Some fossils we found suggest it's possible that there may even be a Dragon type of Eeveelution, but in recent years it's never been seen."

Ethan and Gary continued to geek out over the possibility of more undiscovered Eeveelutions, causing the remaining adults to roll their eyes.

"You better get going, sweetheart. You'll want to try and make a fair distance before it gets dark," Misty advised.

"It took your grandfather four days to make it to Viridian City, but it took your father just one thanks to your mother's bike!"

"Mooooom!" Ash moaned. "Did you _have_ to bring that up again?"

"So is a dead Eevee a ghost type?" the three adults and Alora heard Ethan ask Gary.

"Ethan!" Delia snapped. Alora looked shocked and covered her Eevee's ears, shielding it from talk of its perished relations. "Alora's going now."

"Oh right," he blushed, rubbing his neck sheepishly, a trait Ash had acquired Misty noted. "Sorry sweetheart, the ex-researcher in me likes to appear every now and then."

Alora giggled. "No worries, Grandpa." She dropped her Eevee to the ground gently to give her grandfather a hug. "I'll miss you, Grandpa. I wanna go fishing when I get back in the summer!"

A tear filled Ethan's eye, but he wiped it away quickly before his only grandchild pulled away from the hug. "Of course, sweetheart. Best of luck."

"You'll do amazing, darling," Delia said as she hugged her next. "I know it."

Misty was next, hugging her daughter tightly. Having said all she needed to earlier, she said nothing to avoid more tears. Finally, Ash hugged his child close.

"I love you all," Alora said, once she'd pulled apart from her father. "I'll make sure to call, loads!"

"You'll be great, Lorry, I know it," Gary smiled. "Here, this is a Pokedex. It logs all the Pokemon you've seen. Go out there and catch loads of different types," he handed her the red device, and five Pokeballs to get her started.

"Thanks, Uncle Gary," she said, giving him a hug too. He could only return it with one arm as his daughter was still in his arms. Alora placed a kiss to Rose's forehead.

"Bye Rose, don't grow up too much while I'm gone!"

Finally, it was time for Alora to leave. Everyone waved her off, including Rose, who yelled, "Bye Lorry!" after her. The adults all yelled their best wishes too, and once she was out of sight, Ash turned to Gary, his face as hard as the rocks below their feet.

"Okay, explain."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Ash, I thought you might be a bit miffed I gave your daughter the offspring of my Pokémon, but lighten up!"

"That's not what this is about!" Ash roared, stepping toward Gary.

Rose sensed the tension between the two ex-rivals and began to stir. Delia, ever the doting grandmother, even to toddlers that were not technically her own, stepped forward and took Rose from Gary, quickly saying she'd take her inside to Leaf. On her way, she sent a meaningful look to her husband, urging him to deal with his son, but as Ethan turned back to see Misty's angered expression, he had a feeling someone would beat him to it.

"That Eevee's the runt of the group; you can tell by its ear," Ash continued, his voice dripping with rage. "Not only that, but normal types are the hardest to train because of a lack of type advantage! How is she meant to beat Forrest, at the first freakin' gym?! You're sabotaging my daughter!"

Gary scoffed loudly. "Are you actually kidding me? You know how much I love that kid; I would _never_ do anything to hurt her!"

"I thought that too, but apparently that's not true," Ash growled. "I can't believe I asked you to look after her all those years ago."

Misty and Ethan glanced at Ash, confused. Gary, however, understood the comment. Even now, only Ash and Gary knew that Ash had asked him to care for Misty and his then unborn daughter when he was dying in back of an ambulance.

"Ash, do you remember what starters the two other trainers in Pallet got the year we left on our journey?" Even though his voice appeared mostly even, there was an evident angry shake to Gary's tone.

"Charmander and Bulbasaur," Ash recalled, still irritated. "But what-"

Gary interrupted him, his voice shaking more now, his frustration clear. "They had an advantage. More so than you, anyway; you had Pikachu. Yeah, okay, Charmander wouldn't be much use until the third or fourth Gym, but still, its evolutions surpassed a Pikachu's strength by miles. Everyone, including me, thought you wouldn't make it past the first Gym. But you did. You struggled a lot at first, the other two didn't. Which trainer actually made it, Ash?"

Ash was stunned. He pursed his lips together and dipped his head in shame. Gary wasn't trying to sabotage her; he was trying to _help _her.

Gary continued, slightly calmer now, but his arms were folded defensively. "If she starts out easy she'll never grow. Just like those other two from Pallet." He growled in frustration. "God, I can't believe you'd accuse me of trying to sabotage her! I'm done."

With that, Gary stormed back up to the lab, leaving a bewildered Ethan and Misty in his wake. He passed Delia on his way up, who looked at him with concern, but he dismissed her worries, stating he just needed to cool off. By the time Delia reached the bottom of the hill, Misty had exploded.

"What the hell was that, Ash?"

Ash ran a hand through his messy, raven locks. "I care about my daughter, okay?"

"Oh and I don't because I don't yell at one of my best friends for some stupid, paranoid reason?"

Ash was about to retort but his mother stepped between the couple.

"I think we all need that cup of tea, don't you?"

* * *

The walk to Delia and Ethan's house had been silent. Mr Mime had noticed the hostile atmosphere and decided to retreat to the garden; the clown Pokémon didn't like confrontation. The kitchen was also silent, bar the clinking of the spoon against the china cups as Delia prepared the tea. Misty was sat on the right side of the kitchen table, beside Ethan, while Ash sat opposite her on the left side, alone. Delia placed a cup of tea in front of each of them, earning thanks from her husband and daughter-in-law, whilst her son just grumbled.

"Just because you're throwing a tantrum doesn't mean you have to be rude to your mother, Ash," Misty growled.

"Misty," Delia scolded softly as she took her seat at the head of the table. "I appreciate you defending me, but let's try and talk this out calmly. Have some tea."

"Ironic that you told me off for calling them 'kids' earlier, dear," Ethan chuckled as he brought his mug to his mouth, cracking the tension slightly. Misty giggled too; she was used to Delia mothering her, even at this age. Since she was thirteen Delia had treated her like her own, and Misty had welcomed the attention, she still did, even at thirty-two; losing her biological mother had made her realise how much she yearned for a maternal model. Ash didn't crack a smile, Delia noticed, causing her to sigh.

"Okay, Ash. I know that when it comes to Gary I think there will always be some tension and competitiveness there, but he loves you, and Alora; he would never try to sabotage either of you. Is there something else to this?"

"Are you in love with Gary? It's okay if you are…" Her mug was covering her mouth but Delia caught the sideways smirk on Misty's lips; her anger had dissolved slightly, she was up for winding Ash up now.

"No, Misty, I'm not," Ash said blankly, clearly not in a jokey mood. Delia had to stifle a giggle; Ash sulking and Misty taunting him brought back memories of when they were kids. Some things never change.

"Is it because of that time Gary asked Misty out? Are you still upset?" Delia asked, trying to hide her grin.

"You were upset about that?" Misty cried, _not_ trying to hide her grin. "It wasn't Gary's fault, we hadn't told anyone about us yet."

"That doesn't mean I didn't love you," Ash pouted. "You went bat crazy over Serena!"  
Misty shrugged. "I guess, but we were eighteen then; you could have been bonking her for all I knew."

"You two always were the jealous types, it was so cute," Delia beamed. "Ashy came home and punched a wall because Gary asked Misty out to dinner," she explained to Ethan, eliciting a cry of disagreement from her only child. "And poor Misty came to me crying when she found out Serena liked Ash from May."

"You _cried?_" Ash chuckled. "Oh, Mist. We'd been going out four years!"

Misty flushed, in both anger and embarrassment. "That's irrelevant! She was gorgeous and you were thousands of miles away travelling with her!"

Ash smiled sympathetically, leaning forward to rest his hand on top of hers, which lay on the table. "It was always you, Mist. You know that."

She locked eyes with him. "Likewise."

Ash smiled softly at her, knowing she didn't just mean Gary. She'd been engaged to someone else, after all.

"We've gotten a little off topic," Delia noted.

"Your fault," Ethan smirked.

"Anyway," Delia said, glaring jokingly at her husband. "Come on, Ash, spill. What was up with your little tantrum earlier?"

He sighed heavily, causing Misty to squeeze his hand reassuringly.

"I just want her to do well. She's gonna struggle at the first Gym. How could she not?"

"So did you, Mr. Pokemon Master," Misty pointed out.

"I know but… I want her to do great things. It's hard to explain. I'll be fine, don't worry."

No-one seemed convinced, but decided to drop it for now; Ash was known to be a little quick tempered at times.

* * *

A few hours later, Ethan was helping Delia and Misty tidy up in the kitchen when he caught sight of his son leaning on the back fence of their yard, staring out over the hills of Pallet, which were glowing in the sunset. He dismissed himself from Delia's instruction, luckily to his wife's obligation, and went to stand beside his son, reflecting his position.

"You alright, kiddo?" Ethan asked. Ash sighed.

"Yeah, just wondering what Alora's up to. I was awful at the start of my journey; single-handedly pissed off an entire flock of Spearow, nearly drowned, got Pikachu badly injured and destroyed my future wife's prized bike."

"Well," Ethan said. "Least you know Alora can't do any worse."

Ash chuckled slightly. "That's true."

There was a moment of comfortable silence between the two men, just the breeze blowing gently and the Pidgey chirping contently. Ethan broke the quiet as he turned to look at his son.

"Ash, what did you mean by that comment to Gary?"

Ash sighed. He didn't need to ask which comment. He was reluctant to explain at first, but then decided his father wouldn't go unanswered. "Do you remember the day Alora was born and I was you know, dying?"

"Unfortunately," Ethan murmured. He still had nightmares about it, occasionally.

"I didn't want to leave Misty and Alora without a doting partner and father figure. I couldn't leave this Earth until I knew they would have someone to look after them," Ash explained. Ethan nodded, not speaking as to allow Ash to continue. "As I was lying in the back of the ambulance… I asked Gary to do it."

"You what?" Ethan couldn't help but say.

"I know, it's insane, Gary told me he couldn't have done it; they were mine and always would be. Even though he rejected my request, you know, once I was alive and all, just the fact he used to have feelings for her… Sometimes it still gets me. I know they were fourteen, but it's led me to be a bit… Off, with Gary sometimes I guess, like that outburst today when I thought he was being malicious."

Ethan nodded. "I suppose that's understandable. But why ask Gary if you had such an issue?"

Ash looked down and murmured. "Because I knew he could love her."

Ethan smiled softly, and placed a hand on Ash's shoulder. "No-one could love her like you. Gary clearly knows that too. Besides, he's happily married himself!"

Ash sighed. "Yeah, you're right; it's stupid."

"It's not stupid. You're in love; it kinda comes hand-in-hand with jealousy."

Ash nodded slowly, staring out over the hills still. His father sighed gently, and squeezed his son's shoulder.

"Are you sure this is all this is about?"

Ash's face turned to contemplation. "I dunno, I think so… My head's been a little messed up, lately, been thinking about a lot of stuff."

"Like what?" his father asked, his voice drenched with concern.

Ash pursed his lips. His confession came out as a whisper, keeping his head dipped. "I feel guilty."

His dad persuaded him, eventually, to admit what had caused him to divulge into guilt. "I… I miss being Champion."

The acknowledgment surprised Ethan, which must have been evident on his features, and the fact he retracted his hand, as his son's face dropped more. "Don't look at me like that!"

"I'm not… I'm just… confused," Ethan admitted. "It's been ten years, Ash. How long have you felt like this?"

"Only recently, I promise," Ash said. "Since we started preparing Alora for her journey, I just started to remember all my dreams as a kid, you know? And then I start to miss being Champion, because I feel like I gave it all up…" He paused slightly to sigh heavily. "Then I remember _why_ I gave it up and I feel guilty as hell."

Ethan sighed softly, his hand returning to Ash's shoulder. "You wanna know a secret?" Ash looked up at his father, like an expectant child. "I miss researching. You and I are the same Ash; we're not built to stay in one place… Your mother was the only girl I ever met that could convince me to settle down and start a family. I worried you'd never find that girl. I love Misty more than I can even begin to tell you, because life on the road is lonely as hell, kiddo, and I'm so grateful she saved you from permanent travelling. That said, you and I, we will always crave adventure. You shouldn't feel guilty, Ash."

"My wife and my baby nearly _died_ because of me, Dad…" Ash's voice was shaking now, and Ethan's other hand gripped the parallel shoulder of his offspring. His grip was firm but at the same time delicate. He looked Ash deep in the eyes.

"Never, _ever_ say that, Ash. Don't even think it," Ethan almost sounded aggressive, his passion as firey as the sunset behind them. "That horrible, _horrible_ man was responsible for this. Not you."

"Why are you so worked up, Dad?" Ash asked, holding his father's forearms, noting the anger on his father's face, which was illuminated orange by the leaving light.

Ethan retracted from his son. "Because that man nearly simultaneously killed my daughter-in-law, my grandchild and my son. Do I need another reason?"

Ash shook his head softly. "Even so, Dad, me becoming Champ is what drove Misty into his arms."

"You also wouldn't have Alora."

"…I've never thought of it like that," Ash breathed.

"Ash, if you want to be Champion again you could always go for the title," Ethan reasoned. Ash groaned.

"But I don't know if I do! I think I do but then I remember the fame was hell and that I'm happier the way I am, but I still feel… incomplete. Is that crazy?"

Ethan smiled gently. "Not at all, but it does sound like you need to work out what you want first, maybe before you mention it to Misty…"

"Yeah," Ash said, returning his gaze to the sunset, the beautiful orange reminding him of the woman in question. "You're right."

* * *

**I tried to make the drama in this chapter a little more light-hearted than I usually do, just because this is the start of the story and the 'real' drama will come later on. I hope you enjoyed it, and that I didn't bore you to tears with the length ;) **


End file.
